By Leanor Allon, Second Year, English
The original Practical Magic (1998) was initially a commercial disappointing yet its heartwarming late-90s depiction of witchcraft eventually found its fanbase and the film grew to its now cult-classic status, cementing its place in many autumnal and Halloween season watchlists.
The whimsy of the original balances the perfect amount of cozy coven magic with the elements of the gothic and inexplicably supernatural, comically completed with outdated special magical effects. Akin to the revived reception of now-classic Jennifer’s Body (2009), their shared female-forward plot and cast was once misogynistically questioned but the themes of sisterhood and female friendship prove to be essential to the effectiveness of the plot. Ultimately, once the intended audience was given a mouthpiece on social media, the growth of a loyal fanbase was rapid.
Perfectly captured 90s nostalgia, a small-town curse, Stevie Nicks and Joni Mitchell spearheading the soundtrack and the female-centricity of Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman’s believable performances as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens lead to the development of many iconic scenes. Images of the Owens’ picturesque cliffside Victorian-era New England home and Nicole Kidman in a perfect green velvet dress indefinitely float around Pinterest.
Familial and romantic love is a core theme to the film, and both sisters’ respective relationships with love is explored, intertwined with the magical aspects of the film. Gillian’s abusive ex-boyfriend haunts her from beyond the grave after she poisons him, appearing as a ghostly apparition in outmoded CGI before possessing her and Sally casts a hyper-specific love spell as a child in the hopes of never experiencing the heartbreak of loss that comes with the Owens family curse – that every man who falls in love with an Owens woman will meet a tragic and untimely end.
Love as a theme remains central to the sequel, maintaining the continuity of the Practical Magic world, yet most of these consistencies mainly end up encouraging explicit points of comparison to be drawn to the original. This is unsurprisingly done in an attempt to prey upon viewer’s nostalgia yet the effect it has simply illustrates the sequel’s shortcomings and the extent of change undergone by the film industry in the past 20 years.
Completely charmless, the harsh and soulless Netflix lighting completely stripped the warm autumnal world of all comforting sentiment and desperate references to the original offered no salvation or cover up of the fact that the plot and script were completely uncaptivating. The now-iconic midnight margarita scene, wherein the sisters and their aunts dance impromptu in their kitchen to Harry Nilsson’s playful 1971 song ‘Coconut’ was repeatedly and desperately referenced, proving the sequel’s inability to stand alone without heavy reliance upon the success of the original. Any affection evoked was completely and immediately overshadowed by the glaringly obvious product placement of a massive Ninja Slushi box and bottle of perfectly-positioned Astral Tequilla.
The film occasionally made uninspired, exceptionally cheesy observations on family and true love, such as the line ‘no magic is stronger than sisterhood’, and attempted to continue the much-loved bond between the sisters played by Bullock and Kidman through Sally’s daughters, played by Joey King and Maisie Williams. However, this connection wasn’t achieved as the warmth was gone and the believable sisterly love was absent.
One Letterboxd user called the film ‘an anthropological study’ on the change in expectations of visible signs of ageing expressed by modern-day lead actresses. This is a talking point that has consistently arisen in the Instagram comments of press-tour clips, pointing out all the lead actresses’ seeming inability to express a full range of facial motion. Another reviewer titled the film ‘Practically Plastic’.
Janine Tan
When Bullock and Kidman’s characters learn of their aunt’s immanent death, their eyes are forcibly teary but no other muscles on their face move, making the supposedly emotional scene totally uncanny and unconvincing. Again, this on-screen epitome of modern standards instigates more of an analysis of what is expected of actresses Bullock and Kidman’s age, looks-wise, than a deep enjoyment or investment in the narrative feature.
Ultimately, Practical Magic 2 was an expected letdown and a disheartening reminder of the modern filmic climate that big-budget mainstream movies exist within. The confusing pacing and plotless, aimless atmosphere, combined with the dragged-out epilogue, made the film seem excessively indulgent. Interest is insinuated to lie in the magic of being a part of the Owen sisters’ world but the heavy reliance upon generated nostalgia and explicit reminders of the first film render the sequel ultimately empty.
Featured image: IMDb / Practical Magic 2
Were you also let down by Practical Magic 2?
